Tami Neilson - “Kingmaker”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 8

Pairs Well With…Amy Winehouse, Tammy Wynette, Patty Loveless

The melodrama that rides through Tami Neilson’s latest record Kingmaker throws back to old Western epics, where grand storylines can match equally stunning vistas. Dynamic and expressive, the tones and motifs throughout Kingmaker are committed all-in. Symphonic accompaniment joins Americana instrumentation, a full, sweeping sound that sets a perfect scene for Neilson’s storming country vocals. While not the top-line statement in Neilson’s music, there are some really interesting percussive choices on Kingmaker that twist traditionalist expectations, handclaps taking the lead every other song in a way that naturalizes a throwback revue. SXSW already holds a special place for the Kiwi artist, a touchstone last year that featured a collaboration with Willie Nelson on the moving original “Beyond the Stars”. (Kevin McStravick)

2022 Review: Tami Neilson is an artist fully aware of the power of her voice, crafting epic R&B/soul ballads and throwback grooves on her most recent record CHICKABOOM! Blues with a tinge of psychedelic rock, Neilson throws back to 70s soul artists and even employs some similar recording patterns - one could be fooled to think these songs were pulled from a dusty forty-five. She heads to SXSW all the way from New Zealand, but her sound will feel right at home deep in the heart of Texas.